Operation Strangle (Korean War)

U.N. air-based military attack during the Korean War

Not to be confused with Operation Strangle (World War II).

* v
* t
* e

Korean War

North Korean offensive
(25 June – 15 September 1950)

* Pokpung
* Chuncheon
* Gorangpo
* Kaesong–Munsan
* Ongjin
* Uijeongbu
* 1st Seoul
* Suwon Airfield
* Air Campaign
* Andong
* Chumonchin Chan
* Osan
* Pyongtaek
* Chonan
* Chochiwon
* Taejon
* Sangju
* Yongdong
* Hwanggan
* Hadong
* Notch
* Pusan Perimeter
* Masan
* P'ohang-dong
* Taegu
* 1st Naktong Bulge
* Bowling Alley
* Battle Mountain
* Kyongju
* Haman
* Nam River
* Ka-san
* Tabu-dong
* Yongsan
* 2nd Naktong Bulge

United Nations Command counteroffensive
(15 September – 30 October 1950)

* Inchon
* Pusan Perimeter offensive
* 2nd Seoul
* UN September 1950 counteroffensive
* Hill 282
* UN offensive into North Korea
* Sariwon
* Pyongyang
* Yongyu
* Kujin
* Chongju
* Sunchon tunnel

Chinese Intervention
(25 October 1950 – January 1951)

* Onjong
* Unsan
* Pakchon
* Second Phase Offensive
* Ch'ongch'on River
* Wawon
* Chosin Reservoir
* Task Force Faith
* UN retreat from North Korea
* Hungnam evacuation
* 3rd Seoul
* Uijeongbu
* 1st and 2nd Wonju
* Pohang

Fighting around the 38th parallel
(January – June 1951)

* Happy Valley
* Thunderbolt
* Twin Tunnels
* Roundup
* Hoengsong
* Chipyong-ni
* 3rd Wonju
* Chuam-ni
* Wonsan
* Killer
* 4th Seoul (Operation Ripper)
* Maehwa-san
* Courageous
* Tomahawk
* Rugged
* Dauntless
* Spring offensive
* Imjin River
* Yultong
* Hwacheon
* Kapyong
* Soyang River
* UN May–June 1951 counteroffensive

Stalemate
(July 1951 – 27 July 1953)

* Bloody Ridge
* Minden
* Punchbowl
* Heartbreak Ridge
* Commando
* 1st Maryang-san
* Haktang-ni
* Polecharge
* 2nd Maryang-san
* Rat Killer
* Hill Eerie
* Old Baldy
* Blaze
* Bunker Hill
* Outpost Kelly
* White Horse Hill
* Arrowhead Hill
* Triangle Hill
* Jackson Heights
* Noris
* 1st Hook
* 2nd Hook
* Chatkol
* Outpost Vegas
* Pork Chop Hill
* Hill 187
* Little Switch
* Nevada Complex
* 3rd Hook
* Outpost Harry
* Kumsong
* Berlin Outposts and Boulder City
* Samichon River
* Korean Armistice Agreement
* Big Switch
* Panmunjom Declaration

Air operations
(1950 – 1953)

* Air Campaign
* MiG Alley
* Sunchon
* Strangle
* Sui-ho Dam
* Bombing of North Korea 1950–1953

Naval operations
(1950 – 1953)

* Battle of Korea Strait
* Battle of Chumonchin Chan
* Battle of Haeju
* Battle of Inchon
* Operation Tailboard
* 2nd Wonsan
* Fireball
* Buzz Saw
* Kickoff
* USS Walke Incident
* Han River

* Naval engagements of the Korean War

For further information, see also:
Korean War (template)

Operation Strangle was a sustained interdiction attack on North Korea's supplies and communications by the United Nations forces during the Korean War. Beginning in August 1951, the campaign's 87,552 interdiction sorties were credited with destroying 276 locomotives, 3,820 railroad cars, 19,000 rail cuts[clarification needed], and 34,211 other vehicles[citation needed]. The North Koreans countered the campaign by moving anti-aircraft (AA) guns and crews towards the front line and placing them in higher concentrations around important targets, causing heavy casualties in the UN forces. Despite high losses, Operation Strangle destroyed 900 AA gun positions and damaged 443.[1]

By December 1951, North Korea was able to repair rail cuts in less than six hours, bridges in two to four days, and other bomb damages fairly quickly. By May 1952, it was apparent that their supply efforts had increased support to their front-line troops despite the air attacks. By June, half of the North's anti-aircraft guns - 132 cannons and 708 automatic weapons - were posted along North Korea's railroads.[2]

Chinese forces made advances towards the goal of an armistice agreement. The USAF created an “air pressure strategy” to put political pressure on the North Korean politicians, and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) continued an aerial bombing campaign throughout the negotiations, until July 27, 1953 when armistice negotiations came to a halt over prisoners of war (POWs).

The new strategy used air power as a form of direct political pressure. Colonel Richard Randolph and Ben Mayo oversaw planning for the air pressure strategy by selecting proper targets for air operations. The two kept in mind the scarce targets in North Korea and suggested attacking the least maneuverable target. On June 26, 1952, the Far East Air Force (FEAF) Target Committee proposed that their combat operations policy should be rewritten sufficiently to follow the Fifth Air Force and FEAF Bomber Command (BOMBCOM) to maintain “air pressure” through destructive operations. Once General Otto P. Weyland, commanding general of the FEAF, approved the changes on June 29, 1952, the new military plan painted North Korean towns and villages as major targets to be destroyed by the bombers. FEAF’s Fifth Air Force eventually selected seventy-eight villages as targets for the B-26 light bombers.[3]

The North Koreans had large numbers of radar-directed anti-aircraft guns, 88mm and 85mm (including long-range 120s or 155s). They also had a large quantity of smaller guns, including 37mm, 20mm cannons and 12.7mm heavy machine guns. Additionally, they also had radar-directed searchlights, which could hold line-of-sight of the night-flying U.N. planes.[4] The U.N. used electronic jamming against the communist radar on the radar-directed A.A. guns, but most U.N. planes were lost to the smaller guns.[4]

Operation Strangle led the U.N. forces to hit a range of weapons, including AA guns and strategic positions.[4]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Clay, Steve (1995). The Korean War, 25 of June 1950 - 27 of July 1953 (1995 The Stanle Sander ed.). New York & London: Garland Publishing, Inc. p. 287\. ISBN 0-8240-4445-2.
2. ^ Futrell, pp. 471 - 474.
3. ^ Kim, Taewoo (2012-09-01). "Limited War, Unlimited Targets: U.S. Air Force Bombing of North Korea during the Korean War, 1950-1953". Critical Asian Studies. 44 (3): 467–492\. doi:10.1080/14672715.2012.711980. ISSN 1467-2715. S2CID 142704845.
4. ^ a b c "BATTLE OF KOREA: Deadly Flak". Time. Vol. 59, no. 6\. 1952-02-11. p. 40\. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2021-08-12.

## References

[edit]

* Futrell, Robert F. (1961). The United States Air Force in Korea 1950-1953. Air Force History and Museums Program year 2000 reprint of original Duel, Sloan and Pearce edition. ISBNs 0160488796, 978-0160488795.

* v
* t
* e

Korean War

25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953

Background|

* Korea divided (1945–1949)
* Prelude to war (1950)

Belligerents|

| United Nations|

* Republic of Korea
* Australia
* Belgium and Luxembourg
* Canada
* Colombia
* Ethiopia
* France
* Greece
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Philippines
* Thailand
* Turkey
* South Africa
* United Kingdom
* United States
* Arkansas Army National Guard
* 65th Infantry Regiment (Puerto Rico)

|

Eastern Bloc|

* Democratic People's Republic of Korea
* China (PVA)
* Soviet Union

Medical (non-combat)
participants|

Medical support in the Korean War

* Czechoslovakia
* Denmark
* India
* Italy
* Norway
* Sweden
* Hungary
* West Germany

Political leaders|

* rok
* Syngman Rhee
* Shin Song-mo
* usa
* Harry S. Truman
* Dwight D. Eisenhower
* uk
* Clement Attlee
* Winston Churchill
* ca
* Louis St. Laurent
* dprk
* Kim Il Sung
* Pak Hon-yong
* Kim Chaek
* prc
* Mao Zedong
* Zhou Enlai
* ussr
* Joseph Stalin
* Georgy Malenkov
* Lavrentiy Beria
* Vyacheslav Molotov

Military commanders|

* rok
* Kim Hong-il
* Kim Jong-oh
* Chung Il-kwon
* Paik Sun-yup
* usa
* Douglas MacArthur
* Matthew Ridgway
* Mark Wayne Clark
* dprk
* Choi Yong-kun
* prc
* Peng Dehuai
* Chen Geng
* Deng Hua

Order of battle|

* Korean People's Army
* Republic of Korea Armed Forces
* Australia
* China
* United Nations contingents
* United States Eighth Army
* United States Seventh Fleet
* Korean People's Air Force

Military operations
• North Korean,
Chinese and
Soviet forces
• South Korean, U.S.,
Commonwealth
and United Nations
forces|

| North Korean offensive
(25 June – 15 September 1950)|

* Pokpoong
* Chuncheon
* 1st Seoul
* Gorangpo
* Kaesong–Munsan
* Korea Strait
* Ongjin
* Uijeongbu
* Suwon Airfield
* Air Campaign
* Andong
* Chumonchin Chan
* Osan
* Pyongtaek
* Chonan
* Chochiwon
* Kum River
* Taejon
* Sangju
* Yongdong
* Hwanggan
* Hadong
* Notch
* Pusan Perimeter
* Masan
* P'ohang-dong
* Taegu
* 1st Naktong Bulge
* Bowling Alley
* Battle Mountain
* Kyongju
* Haman
* Nam River
* Ka-san
* Tabu-dong
* Yongsan
* 2nd Naktong Bulge

|

United Nations Command
Counteroffensive
(15 September – 30 October 1950)|

* Haeju
* Inchon
* 2nd Seoul
* Hill 282
* Sariwon
* Pyongyang
* Yongyu
* Kujin
* Chongju

Chinese Intervention
(25 October 1950 – January 1951)|

* Onjong
* Unsan
* Pakchon
* Ch'ongch'on River
* Wawon
* Chosin Reservoir
* Task Force Faith
* 3rd Seoul
* Uijeongbu
* Chaegunghyon
* 1st and 2nd Wonju

Combat around the 38th parallel
(January – June 1951)|

* Thunderbolt
* Roundup
* Twin Tunnels
* Hoengsong
* Chipyong-ni
* 3rd Wonju
* Chuam-ni
* Wonsan
* Killer
* Ripper (4th Seoul)
* Maehwa-san
* Courageous
* Tomahawk
* Rugged
* Dauntless
* Spring offensive
* Imjin River
* Yultong
* Kapyong
* Soyang River
* UN May–June 1951 counteroffensive

Air operations
(1950–1953)|

* MiG Alley
* Sunchon
* Strangle
* Sui-ho Dam
* Bombing of North Korea 1950–1953

Naval operations
(1950–1953)|

* Korea Strait
* Chumonchin Chan
* Haeju
* Inchon
* Blockade of Wonsan
* Han River

Stalemate
(July 1951 – 27 July 1953)|

* Bloody Ridge
* Minden
* Punchbowl
* Heartbreak Ridge
* Han River
* Commando
* 1st Maryang-san
* Haktang-ni
* Polecharge
* 2nd Maryang-san
* Sunchon
* Hill Eerie
* Sui-ho Dam
* Old Baldy
* Blaze
* White Horse Hill
* Triangle Hill
* 1st Hook
* 2nd Hook
* Chatkol
* Outpost Vegas
* Pork Chop Hill
* 3rd Hook
* Outpost Harry
* Kumsong
* Samichon River
* Korean Armistice Agreement

Aftermath|

* Memorial Day
* Casualties
* War crimes
* Prisoners of war
* Armistice
* DMZ
* Korean DMZ Conflict
* Northern Limit Line
* Panmunjom Declaration

Popular culture|

* Documentary films
* Films
* Books
* Reenactment
* M*A*S*H
* Television series

Other|

* North Korea–South Korea relations
* Korean conflict
* Allegations of biological warfare
* American and British defectors
* Flying aces
* Impact on the economy of the United States
* MiG Alley
* Operation Blacklist Forty
* Operation Glory
* United Nations Memorial Cemetery
* Weapons

* See also:
* Korean War images
* Cold War

Portals:

* North Korea
* South Korea
* 1950s

Authority control databases |

* NARA

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template